2019 in films part 1

Flash Gordon – I guess you could call this a cult classic. I felt compelled to watch this due to the umpteen references in popular culture. It was bit of a damp squib. It’s a naff, 1980s, poor man’s Star Wars. The acting, the sets and special effects are all bad. It’s as though they made Space Balls into a serious film. You can’t get away with saying they did they best they could, with the technology they had at the time. Star Wars and 2001 were both made before this and look much better. Maybe they had bigger budgets. Also Blessed says ‘Gordon’s alive!” with more gusto in real life than he even did in the film… 5/10

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Stylistically this film is unique and quite quaint. It keeps your attention well and somehow the naff special effects don’t detract from the cinematography, rather add to it. It’s funny and gripping, though Gustave H speaks a little too quickly for my liking 8.5/10

The Revanant – Disgusting. It’s funny how retrospectively, native Americans are cast as the villains in Hollywood cinema, when it was the white Europeans who committed mass genocide on the indigenous people isn’t it? That aside (I was rooting for the natives), it’s a good thriller. The gore is a little too much, though paltry compared to Bone Tomahawk. The bear scene was impressive for the acting and CGI. 9/10

Fahrenheit 11/9 – I don’t really remember much. He did cover the Michigan water scandal, the new wave of progressive Dems and why the midterms were so important. He argued that when Democrats become centrists, there’s little difference between them and Republicans and difficult to win elections. I also remember the footage of Obama pretending to drink contaminated water. Shameful. 9/10

The Mule – Clint Eastwood is a shitty person but he’s still a good actor. This is a true story about a octogenerian drug smuggler. Quite entertaining with a predictable ending. 7.5/10

Bandersnatch – Good concept in theory. In reality, I don’t want to play a game whilst watching a film. Especially when some of the choices are pointless e.g. choose which music to listen to on the bus. Good storyline overall. 8/10

Birdman – Surreal, blurs the lines of fiction and reality. Nothing to write home about. 7.5/10

The Reluctant Fundamentalist – My gripe is that the protagonist glorifies terrorism. Though the twist was nice. It’s not as bad as everyone says it was. Average at best. 7/10

The Adventures of Tintin – Loses a point for being a kids film, it’s also plagued by the uncanny valley. The writers have blatantly lifted the plot from the first two episodes of the cartoon. 7/10

Gone Girl – What a car crash of a film throughout. Captivating and a fitting ending. 10/10

Gladiator – I saw this over 17 years ago on VHS™, and didn’t remember anything. A fantastic film: good plot, good action and good acting. Joaquin Phoenix looks very strange in this.  10/10

Transsiberian – I like films set in unusual places. The female protagonist was difficult to empathize with and some of her decisions questionable. 8/10